Yeddyurappa faces arrest, no bail

Bangalore: In a major setback to former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, a Lokayukta Court today rejected his bail plea and issued arrest warrant against him in connection with cases regarding alleged irregularities in denotification of government lands.

The court also denied bail to Yeddyurappa`s former ministerial colleague S N Krisnaiah Setty but gave relief to 14 other accused including the former Chief Minister`s sons B Y Raghavendra, Lok Sabha MP and B Y Vijayendra, and son-in-law Sohan Kumar.

Pronouncing his orders in a packed court, Judge N K Sudhindra Rao directed those enlarged on bail to furnish a security for Rs five lakh each, not to tamper with evidence and not to leave the country. The court issued arrest warrant against Yeddyurappa and Setty.

Yeddyurappa skipped the court hearing citing health reasons but his sons and son-in-law were present. The complaints alleging irregularities in denotification of lands have been filed by advocate Sirajin Basha..

The court order comes as an embarrassment to the BJP and Yeddyurappa, who is credited with installing the party`s first government in the south. Yeddyurappa was forced to step down in July by the party`s central leadership in the wake of his indictment by a Lokayukta report on illegal mining.

The Lokayukta Court last month had fixed October three for pronouncing its verdict on the bail pleas of Yeddyurappa and others, but had to postpone it following an interim stay granted by the High court on its proceedings.

On September 30, a single judge had issued an interim stay on the Lokayukta court proceedings following a petition filed by Yeddyurappa. However, a division bench had vacated the stay on October four, facilitating the Lokayukta Court to continue the proceedings.